DISH Network Charges Forward With Another Round of National HD Channel Launches

**Yes616** · 05-12-2008 04:10 PM

I think the new channels look pretty good. Even the non-HD shows are showing clearer to me.

I like the locals on the 8's page much better than the SD channel version (not that we see our locals but it does look good). Next month TWC-HD officially launches so it will be even better then.

I would hate to loose Vooms. Especially Monsters and Rave. Charlie has every right to be mad at them but please don't get rid of them. Hopefully they learned their lesson and will spend more on programming.

**8bitbytes** · 05-12-2008 04:11 PM

Everything I watch on Dish IS in native HD, not stretched SD. That's why I pay less than you (electricslim) with the HD Only Package. Sure there's still some pseudo-HD programming on some of the channels I get but at least I'm not paying for the 200 SD channels and music I never watched / listened to.

Nothing in SD looks that good on my 8 FOOT SCREEN

**atlind01** · 05-12-2008 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by ElectricSlim

Hello... I can watch most of these channels in standard def. All you are paying for is maybe one third of real, native HD programming on SOME of the channels. Everything else badly upconverted, it looks better in SD. I'm not bitter, I just don't understand paying more for maybe 30% of real HD programming. WHy is everyone here so excited about coughing up 10 to 20 bucks for a sham? You should all call Dish and say, when you offer more than 50% real HD, I'll gladly pay for it.

Some comments are actually happy about watching Full House unpconverted. Upconverts are grainy and have poor resolution. They look worse, but hey, bring em' on and take my money while you do it. More Kool Aid gang?

Are you sure you are using a HDTV? You are the first person that said SD looks better than upconversion.

**sammy4041** · 05-12-2008 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by TalonDancer

Hello.... Some of us sub to the dishHD (only) package and don't pay for SD period

So even new HD channels w/ a lot of up-converted SD are a lot better than a blank screen.

Talon Dancer

+1

you beat me to the punch.

**kstuart** · 05-12-2008 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Sean Mota

Surprised that the Travel channel has HD content on it.

You shouldn't be - the logo in the corner occasionally changes to the phrase:

Some things were meant for HD.

And it's true, travel photography is ideal for HD and the channel looks really good.

This despite the fact that it is simulcast with the SD channel, so they must have tossed all their old 480i programming. (I just checked the SD channel and the content is letterboxed to keep the AR of the program within the 4:3 box)

I'm really liking some of these new channels:

- Travel-HD is like the old Travel Channel before it became all infomercials and reality shows (I stopped watching and hadn't noticed it had better content now)

- Smithsonian-HD is like Discovery before it became almost entirely reality shows.

- CNBC-HD+ gives you more info at once, and is better because the little video boxes in 480i were very low res.

- Weather-HD just waiting for June 2nd for their HD studio to go live.

- The new movie channels just add more opportunities for something good to be available in HD more often.

( BIO-HD looks like the only turkey so far - A&E-HD is the worst HD channel ever - did we need a second A&E ? )

**aperry** · 05-12-2008 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by ElectricSlim

Hello... I can watch most of these channels in standard def. All you are paying for is maybe one third of real, native HD programming on SOME of the channels. Everything else badly upconverted, it looks better in SD. I'm not bitter, I just don't understand paying more for maybe 30% of real HD programming. WHy is everyone here so excited about coughing up 10 to 20 bucks for a sham? You should all call Dish and say, when you offer more than 50% real HD, I'll gladly pay for it.

Some comments are actually happy about watching Full House unpconverted. Upconverts are grainy and have poor resolution. They look worse, but hey, bring em' on and take my money while you do it. More Kool Aid gang?

You don't have to pay anything if you don't feel like the HD package is worth the money...

**ghia** · 05-12-2008 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by FitzAusTex

They've also mapped down all the HD-Only channels (UNI, HDNet, etc.) into the 300 range...all except the Vooms. I'm liking it, now if only they'd do the Vooms then i could be done with the 9000 range...

I'm use to looking in the 9000's guess I will have to change the guide around, it looks like MGM and Smithsonian do not show up in the 9000 range.

**ghia** · 05-12-2008 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by TalonDancer

Hello.... Some of us sub to the dishHD (only) package and don't pay for SD period

So even new HD channels w/ a lot of up-converted SD are a lot better than a blank screen.

Talon Dancer

Yes, the HD only package is sweet. Now if there was a way to subscribe to an HD-only premium package. It would be nice to have a way to get all the Movie premium w/o having to pay for the SD stuff that I don't watch.

**vegassatellite** · 05-12-2008 05:30 PM

Absent of a real quality HD set and not being calibrated, HD can look awful for some. My suggestion is that electricslime buy his HDTV from somewhere other than WallyWorld and pay to have it calibrated.